Informal Powers Of President

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When the Founding Fathers created the Constitution, they established that the powers of the president would be limited. The list of powers intended for the President are brief and vague. This often sparks disagreements on the boundaries of the powers of the Presidency, depending on how one interprets it. The purpose of having a government with limited presidential powers is to ensure that there would be checks and balances to prevent the possibility of one branch or person over powering the country. The powers of the President can be placed into the following categories: formal, implied, statutory, implied, and informal. These ambiguous powers allow for the government to develop along with the progress and needs of the United States.
Implied
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One of the informal powers the President has is known as “the power to persuade”. The power to persuade is crucial for bargaining and convincing others to act on what the President deems should be done. An area where this power is used frequently is Congress. The President often has to intervene and persuade Congress in order for them to produce an outcome that is in his favor. The president relies heavily on the power to persuade to accomplish his goals. The “rhetorical presidency” is defined as the communication and government style of a President. In the past, before the advancement of technology, Presidents had a more traditional approach to running the office. However, now, it is important that the President makes speeches and stays in touch with the public. Delivering powerful speeches that details goals and aspirations is essential for a President to win over the public and his political colleagues. When “Going public”, Presidents seek to gain the support of other politicians and the public to favor his side of an …show more content…
This policy is an example of how the presidential powers have been expanded since the creation of the Constitution. Originally, the Constitution did not intend for the President to have so much power. Congress had not come to a decision on immigration issues, yet Obama took action by sending out an executive order to push DACA. This exemplifies the Prerogative Theory because Obama disregarded checks and balances. Some may argue that he went too far by overstepping Congress and abusing his presidential privilege. Although the policy is greatly beneficial to those who qualify for DACA, it raises a cause for concern. How much power should the President be entitled to? Not all who are elected will have the same moral integrity or capacity to be a fair and just leader. Since checks and balances do not limit the President the same way it used to, there is more room for a reckless leader to make decisions that may not be in the best interest of the